Chapelle Chambertin, Cecile Tremblay 2009

A notably ripe yet still agreeably fresh nose features notes of assorted red berries, spice, plum, floral and plenty of earth character. There is excellent richness but also relatively good delineation to the big-bodied and intensely mineral-driven flavors that possess an abundance of dry extract that coats the palate and buffers the moderate firm tannic spine on the lingering and well-balanced finish. This is clearly from 2009 yet there is none of the excess ripeness that some 2009s display and this should be enjoyable both young and at full maturity.

My first encounter with Domaine Cécile Tremblay was in the form of a bottle of the 2009 Chapelle-Chambertin Grand Cru, an immensely dramatic, fleshy young wine that made an immense impression on me as a student. Today, the 2010 is gradually eclipsing the faster-evolving 2009, but the latter remains a very attractive wine, exhibiting aromas of cherries, sweet berries, licorice and rose petals, followed by a full-bodied, rich and fleshy palate that's broad and enveloping, concluding with an expansive finish.